Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The repetition of "your right hand, O LORD" isn't just for emphasis; it highlights that God's action is the source of both His glory and the enemy's destruction. This isn't a passive strength, but an active, powerful intervention displayed by His own hand.
Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of a triumphant song of deliverance sung by Moses and the Israelites immediately after God miraculously parted the Red Sea, allowing them to escape the pursuing Egyptian army. The song, a poetic recounting of God's mighty intervention, contrasts God's power with the utter destruction of their enemies, highlighting the devastating force God unleashed upon Pharaoh and his troops. This immediate context emphasizes that God's power is not just a concept but a force that actively intervenes to save His people and obliterate their oppressors.
We often say 'with my right hand,' but what does it truly signify in Scripture? In this ancient song, the 'right hand' isn't just a body part—it's packed with meaning.
The 'right hand' in the Bible is a powerful symbol for God's direct action and immense strength.
Divine Authority and Action
When Moses sings about the LORD's "right hand," he's not just talking about a physical limb. It represents God's personal intervention and His ultimate authority. It’s the hand that executes His will and achieves His purposes.
A Display of Might
This song celebrates the miraculous deliverance of Israel from Egypt. The "shattering" of the enemy by God's right hand is a vivid image of His overwhelming power displayed in the parting of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh's army. It shows that God's power isn't just abstract; it's actively demonstrated in history.
Consistent in Salvation and Judgment
This powerful image of the right hand is used both for God's saving acts and His judgment on His enemies. It highlights the totality of His power: He is mighty to save and mighty to destroy those who oppose Him.
The verse doesn't just say God is powerful; it calls His power 'glorious.' What makes divine power so magnificent, and why does it matter to us?
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The attribute of 'glorious in power' speaks to the magnificent and awe-inspiring nature of God’s might.
Awe-Inspiring Majesty
'Glorious' here suggests something radiant, magnificent, and worthy of profound admiration. When paired with 'power,' it means God's might isn't just forceful; it's breathtakingly beautiful and majestic in its execution. It’s a power that commands wonder and deep reverence.
Ultimate Victory Over Opposition
This glory is displayed most dramatically in the destruction of Israel's enemies. The shattering of the Egyptian army wasn't just an act of force; it was a demonstration of God's supreme authority and justice, revealing the absolute futility of resisting Him. This victory secures the freedom and future of His people.
Foundation for Trust
Understanding God's glorious power isn't just for intellectual appreciation; it's the bedrock of our faith. Knowing He possesses such magnificent might means we can trust Him completely with our battles, our weaknesses, and our future.
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God revealed to Israel, signifying His eternal, self-existent nature and His faithfulness to His promises.
yamin · Hebrew Noun
In biblical imagery, the right hand symbolizes strength, authority, power, and active intervention on behalf of one’s people.
This verse comes from the Song of Moses, a powerful declaration of praise sung immediately after God's miraculous deliverance of Israel from the Egyptian army at the Red Sea. The 'enemy' is the pursuing Egyptian force, whose utter destruction is attributed directly to God's 'right hand,' a metaphor for His powerful and decisive action.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Israelites Flee Egypt
After centuries of slavery, the Israelites, led by Moses, depart from Egypt. This event marks their liberation from bondage and the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land.
c. 1446 BC
The Parting of the Red Sea
As the Egyptian army pursues them, God miraculously parts the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground. This is the pivotal moment celebrated in the song.
c. 1446 BC
Destruction of Pharaoh's Army
After the Israelites have crossed, God closes the Red Sea, drowning Pharaoh and his entire army. This decisive victory utterly annihilates their pursuers.
c. 1446 BC
Song of Moses
Immediately following the miraculous deliverance, Moses and the Israelites sing this song of praise and thanksgiving to God, highlighting His mighty power.
This Psalm echoes the language of Exodus, describing God's powerful intervention with thunder and lightning that scatters enemies, similar to the waters overwhelming Pharaoh's army.
Isaiah 51:9This passage directly recalls the Exodus event, asking if it was not God's 'right arm' that 'cut Rahab in pieces' and 'pierced the dragon', mirroring the shattering of the enemy in Exodus.
Revelation 19:11This verse describes Christ returning as a victorious warrior, 'judging and making war' with a sword coming from His mouth, reflecting the decisive and powerful judgment against God's enemies seen in Exodus.
1 Corinthians 1:18This passage speaks of the 'message of the cross' being 'foolishness to those who are perishing' but 'the power of God' to believers, paralleling how God's seemingly strange actions in Exodus demonstrate His ultimate power to save.
Psalm 144:5This verse is a prayer asking God to 'bow the heavens and come down,' to 'touch the mountains and they shall smoke,' evoking a similar sense of divine power and judgment against enemies as seen in the Red Sea crossing.
cambridgeExodus 15:6: "Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy."
6 . Thy right hand , O Yahweh glorious in power , Thy right hand, O Yahweh, did dash in pieces the enemy . The text can only be so rendered, ‘glorious’ (which is masc.) agreeing with ‘Yahweh’ (cf. v. 11), and the subject, ‘Thy right hand,’ being repeated for emphasis in v. 6b before the predicate (just as in Psalm 92:9 ; Psalm 93:3 ; Psalm 94:3 ). If we desire to render a…
clarkeExodus 15:6: "Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy."
Thy right hand - Thy omnipotence, manifested in a most extraordinary way.
The repetition of "your right hand, O LORD" isn't just for emphasis; it highlights that God's action is the source of both His glory and the enemy's destruction. This isn't a passive strength, but an active, powerful intervention displayed by His own hand.
This verse is part of a triumphant song of deliverance sung by Moses and the Israelites immediately after God miraculously parted the Red Sea, allowing them to escape the pursuing Egyptian army. The song, a poetic recounting of God's mighty intervention, contrasts God's power with the utter destruction of their enemies, highlighting the devastating force God unleashed upon Pharaoh and his troops. This immediate context emphasizes that God's power is not just a concept but a force that actively intervenes to save His people and obliterate their oppressors.
This verse is part of a triumphant song of deliverance sung by Moses and the Israelites immediately after God miraculously parted the Red Sea, allowing them to escape the pursuing Egyptian army. The song, a poetic recounting of God's mighty intervention, contrasts God's power with the utter destruction of their enemies, highlighting the devastating force God unleashed upon Pharaoh and his troops. This immediate context emphasizes that God's power is not just a concept but a force that actively intervenes to save His people and obliterate their oppressors.
"Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy." — The repetition of "your right hand, O LORD" isn't just for emphasis; it highlights that God's action is the source of both His glory and the enemy's destruction. This isn't a passive strength, but…
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Last reviewed October 2026